SHORT STORY BOOK CLUB: AUSTRALIA DAY

The short story is a form which can excite, engage, enlighten and entertain— and be an entire fictional movement in 3000 words or less. In Australian publishing, we are seeing an unprecedented number of collections and anthologies being published by a combination of established writers and ground-breaking new talents.

Join emerging writer, Emily Paull, at our monthly Short Story Book Club for people who read and write short stories, as well as those who simply revel in the written word. We will explore exquisite, iconic short fiction collections from the Australian literary canon, modern classics, soon to be published gems, and award-winning collections.

We’ll tease out why these stories resonate, examine the greater motivations behind their work, and revel in the joys of perfectly constructed tale.

Australia Day by Melanie Cheng

Australia Day is a collection of stories by debut author Melanie Cheng. The people she writes about are young, old, rich, poor, married, widowed, Chinese, Lebanese, Christian, Muslim. What they have in common—no matter where they come from—is the desire we all share to feel that we belong. The stories explore universal themes of love, loss, family and identity, while at the same time asking crucial questions about the possibility of human connection in a globalised world.

Melanie Cheng is an important new voice, offering a fresh perspective on contemporary Australia. Her effortless, unpretentious realism balances an insider’s sensitivity and understanding with an outsider’s clear-eyed objectivity, showing us a version of ourselves richer and more multifaceted than anything we’ve seen before.

If you’re keen to come to each session, order and purchase the texts as soon as possible. Centre for Stories' preferred bookstore is Boffins. We value our local book sellers and think they are an important part of the literary community. Boffins may not stock all of the books in our book club or the authors from our events, but you can order books through them and they will tend to your needs in a timely fashion. Please visit them here. Mention our name for 10% off!

It is necessary that you RSVP to this event. Use the form below to confirm your attendance.

We wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land the Centre for Stories is located on, the Whadjuk people. We respect their culture and the continuing contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.